1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally directed to electrical conduits and/or housings and, more specifically, to an elongated housing assembly for covering electrical cords of the type which extend from an electrical socket or other source of power supply to a fixture, such as a lamp, mounted to a wall or an appliance such as a television.
2. History of the Related Art
Generally, electrical power supply to electrical fixtures including freestanding floor and table lamps or wall mounted lamps, and to electrical appliances such as radios, stereos, televisions and the like, is provided by plugging the electrical cord of the fixture or appliance into a wall mounted electrical socket which is hardwired to a main circuit breaker box. To prevent injury from individuals contacting live electrical lines and to prevent the threat of fire, electrical sockets are enclosed within junction boxes or housings embedded within the walls of a structure. Such sockets are normally installed in predetermined locations during initial building construction based upon local building codes and also upon a builder's, architect's, owner's, or commercial or interior designer's plan for where various appliances and fixtures will be located or placed into use. It is preferred that electrical cords associated with such fixtures and appliances not be prominently exposed, not only because such cords are unaesthetic in appearance, but because exposed cords can create safety hazards. For instance, cords extending along a floor can accidently be engaged by a person walking through a room thereby the person may possibly trip over the cord causing personal injury or causing the fixture or appliance to which the cord is attached to be pulled from its support by the force exerted on the cord. In addition, electrical cords which are left dangling along walls are attractive nuisances for small children and pets and are often the cause of appliances being pulled from tables or shelves.
In many environments it is possible to utilize home or office furnishings to provide a protective barrier to exposed electrical cords. By properly utilizing the placement of tables, chairs, sofas, beds and the like, it is possible that many electrical cords are obscured from view. However, in many instances, it is not possible nor practical to utilize furnishings as barriers for electrical cords or electrical extensions. It is also not practical when considering remodeling, upgrading or redecorating of home or commercial space to re-hardwire the electrical wiring in order to facilitate the aesthetic and safe placement of electrical wiring for providing power to appliances and fixtures, especially due to the cost involved with having to run wiring within walls and to repair any damage done during the rewiring.
In view of the foregoing, it has been proposed in instances where the repositioning or installation of electrical appliances and/or fixtures is desired to redecorate or renovate a given structure, that power to such appliances or fixtures may be conveyed through extension cords which are protectively encased within housings which may be mounted to the exterior surface of a wall. By way of example, in many hotels and motels as well as other commercial establishments, electrical lamps are mounted to the walls of a room at locations such as above a bed or adjacent a reading chair or desk. Often, such lamps are installed during renovation or after initial construction and are therefore not directly hardwired into the electrical system. In order to supply power to such lamps or lights, their electrical cords are housed or enclosed within an elongated box-like channel or conduit which may extend horizontally and vertical with respect to a wall and which may be decorative in appearance so as to appear to be part of the overall room design. Such housings normally extend to an area adjacent the nearest wall socket. In this manner, not only is it possible to confine the electrical cord in an aesthetic manner, but it is also possible to prevent accidental tampering or engagement of the electrical cord except at an area adjacent to where the cord is connected to the electrical socket.
Previously, such elongated protective covers or housings have been constructed utilizing a pair of opposing generally U-shaped channels. The first channel forms an elongated bracket which is mounted with its base against the surface of a wall and may include horizontal or vertical sections. Once the base has been installed, the electrical cord is extended through the channel defined by the base and thereafter a cover is placed over the base member and is secured thereto by mechanical fasteners such as by conventional screws. In cross section, such housings are generally rectilinear in configuration and define an open channel through which the electrical cord is extended. Unfortunately, such conventional housings are easily tampered with in that the conventional mechanical fasteners may be easily removed thereby allowing covers to be separated and allowing exposure of the electrical cords. In addition, although such protective housings for exterior wiring reduces the installation costs, there remains a significant cost for providing two pairs of elongated channels to form a single decorative and protective housing for electrical wiring.